Aakash Doshi
Aakash is Head of Commodities Strategy for North America and manages the research team and client franchise across the Americas region. Aakash leads the analytical efforts globally for agriculture, gold/silver, commodities flows/volatility, and transportation fuel credit markets. His work also spans collaborative projects across asset markets, exploring areas such as food inflation or biofuels. Aakash is a founding member and publisher within the Citi Research Cryptocurrency Working Group covering areas of digital asset finance and regulatory policy. He also serves on the global editorial board for the Citi FICC Trade Radar publication. Prior to joining Citi, Aakash was a Special Situations Analyst at a New York and London-based credit hedge fund, Credit Derivatives, Trader at UBS Investment Bank and in asset management sales at Alliance-Bernstein. Aakash began his career on the short-term interest rate trading desk at GMAC. Aakash holds a Master’s degree in international finance from Columbia University and is regularly quoted in print and TV media/financial press including Bloomberg, Reuters, The Wall Street Journal, The Financial Times, CNBC, and BNN

 

Adam Bergman
Adam Bergman is a Managing Director in the Clean Energy Transition Group at Citi and Global Head of AgTech investment banking, where he works at the intersection of technology innovation and climate change. Adam is a sustainability executive leader with almost 25 years’ experience raising capital and executing M&A transactions. As one of the first investment bankers to focus exclusively on the CleanTech sector, starting in 2005, Adam is recognized as a leading subject matter expert and is a frequent speaker at industry events and publisher of articles on sustainability. Adam has built an industry leading AgTech investment banking practice creating a broad ecosystem to help drive adoption of technology and innovation throughout the broad food & ag value chain. Prior to joining Citi, Adam established the AgTech cohort for Wells Fargo’s innovation incubator (IN2). He sits on the technology advisory board for the Danforth Plant Science Center, as well as the Western Growers Association. Adam is also a technology advisor for farmer-owned Landus Cooperative and SeaAhead, a bluetech startup platform.

 

Aidan Connolly
With 30 years of experience in the agribusiness sector, Aidan’s role has changed so often that his experience covers the full range of executive and managerial challenges. He has direct experience with greenfield start-ups, high-growth environments, turnaround issues, and challenging economic environments in a wide range of political and economic systems. His leadership experience ranges from strategy to operations to production, as well as developing sales programs and cohesive teams that deliver strong results. Having worked in over 100 countries, lived in six, and spoken five languages, Aidan is well-placed to understand the complexities of virtually any environment. He has worked in political associations with state and national governments in the US, China, Europe, and Brazil, and international organizations such as the European Union and the United Nations. Aidan has appeared as a radio and television commentator, often cited for his knowledge of agribusiness and animal feed industry innovation. He holds positions as an adjunct professor of marketing at the Smurfit School of Business, University College Dublin, the China Agricultural University in Beijing, and North Carolina State University in the USA. He has published over 30 academic articles and is a regular contributor to social media, where he is particularly active on LinkedIn and Twitter. Aidan holds Bachelor of Commerce and Master of Business Studies degrees from University College Dublin.

 

Dr. Alan L. Grant
Alan L. Grant became the dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Virginia Tech (Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University) in 2009. The College, through its research, teaching, and extension missions, has the goal to serve the people of the Commonwealth and beyond by enhancing the vitality and sustainability of agriculture, revitalizing rural families and communities, improving human and animal health and nutrition, and enhancing the quality of our environment. Prior to joining Virginia Tech, Dr. Grant served eight years as the head of the department of animal sciences at Purdue University and 19 years on the Purdue faculty.

His past research on animal growth has focused on strategies for increasing the efficiency of lean meat production and utilization, with studies also directed at understanding the relationship between muscle development and meat quality, and has encompassed collaborative partnerships and student involvement. In addition to serving in leadership and service roles with State- and national-level programs, Dr. Grant is an advocate of multi-state activities to support land-grant missions, having served in various roles with groups such as the U.S. Pork Center of Excellence, the Association of Public and Land Grant Universities, and the Charles Valentine Riley Memorial Foundation. He completed his B.S. degree in animal science at Cornell University, and his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in animal science at Michigan State University prior to joining the Purdue faculty. He is also a 2014 graduate of LEAD Virginia.

 

Arama Kukutai
Arama Kukutai has been an investor, company founder and entrepreneur in the Agribusiness sector for over 20 years. He is the CEO of Plenty, bringing vast global operating experience to the indoor vertical farming leader as it transitions from research to commercial operations. He is also the co-founder of Finistere Ventures, one of the pioneering venture firms dedicated to Agrifood investment and an early investor in Plenty. He led the creation of Finistere’s international portfolio and expansive global network in AgTech, establishing Finistere offices in Agrifood epicenters around the globe.  Previously, he served as founder and Executive Chairman of PKW Farms, developing and operating sustainable grass-based dairy farming and aquaculture activities across New Zealand, Asia and Australia.   An active speaker, writer and thought leader in Agrifood sustainability, technology innovation and investment trends, Arama holds law and business/agronomy degrees from the Victoria University of Wellington (NZ).

 

Bill Aimutis
Bill Aimutis is Executive Director for the North Carolina Food Innovation Lab (NCFIL) managed by North Carolina State University on the North Carolina Research Campus in Kannapolis.  Prior to his current position, Aimutis was a Research Fellow and Global Director of External Innovation for Cargill, Inc.  Bill retired from Cargill in September 2018, and subsequently Bill joined NCSU to lead the design, construction, and operation of NCFIL. Bill’s team works with entrepreneurial and multinational companies in alternative protein, fruit, vegetable, and plant-based research, product development, and scale-up in a pilot plant operating under cGMP and FSMA standards. The NCFIL team is also engaged with multiple companies and organizations in the trend to use alternative proteins from multiple sources (plant, algal, microbial, cell culture) in food products. Bill actively participates in promoting alternative protein policy, marketing, and usage by speaking at numerous professional forums. Bill received a Bachelor of Science degree in Food Science at Purdue University and graduate degrees from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in the Food Science Department.  Bill is a Certified Food Scientist, Fellow of the American Dairy Science Association and the Institute of Food Technologists, and a Distinguished Agricultural Alumnus from both Purdue University and Virginia Tech.  Additionally, he was awarded an Outstanding Food Science Award from the Food Science Department at Purdue University, and the Ronald O. Ball Lectureship Award from the University of Alberta.  Aimutis has served on several industry and university advisory committees, and continues to be active on several corporate scientific advisory and managing boards.

 

Secretary Caren Merrick
Virginia Secretary of Commerce and Trade Caren Merrick is a business leader in the Commonwealth, with over 25 years of experience launching growth companies and reinventing businesses in Virginia. Caren co-founded enterprise software company webMethods, growing it from zero to $200m and the most successful software IPO in history at offering. She was founder and CEO of Pocket Mentor, a mobile app delivering leadership tools and is a partner in NextGen Venture Partners investing in category defining early stage companies.

Merrick was the founding CEO of the Virginia Ready Initiative, a public-private partnership co-founded by Governor Glenn Youngkin and First Lady Suzanne Youngkin in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. Caren stood up the organization in eight weeks and oversaw $10 million in funding to mitigate the economic hardships created by the pandemic and resultant labor shortages. Caren has served on boards of non-profit, public, and private growth companies with combined assets of $12B and revenues of $3B across a variety of sectors, specializing in private equity, financial services and REITs. Caren also served six years as a board director for the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority. She grew up in a rural community and is the first woman in her family to earn a college degree, working to support herself through community college and earning a B.A. from the University of California, Los Angeles.

 

Cathy Burns
Cathy Burns is CEO of the International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA), the largest and most diverse international association serving the entire fresh produce and floral supply chain. With 30 years of leadership experience in the grocery industry, she led large teams and transformations across multiple retail banners. Most recently, she served as president of Food Lion, Harveys and Reid’s, and was a member of the Delhaize America Executive Committee. She spent 20 years at Hannaford serving in multiple leadership roles across disciplines. Prior to her current role with IFPA, Cathy was the CEO of Produce Marketing Association from 2013-2021.

Burns was named a 2007 Top Woman in Grocery by Progressive Grocer, was awarded The Packer’s 2008 Produce Marketer of the Year award, named one of Supermarket News’ Power 50 in 2009, was named one of Mass Market Retailer’s Most Influential Women in Mass Market Retailing in 2010, and was recognized as one of the top 25 leaders in the produce and floral industries by The Packer in 2018. Cathy holds bachelor’s degrees in management and marketing from the University of Maine and completed coursework in strategic retail management at the College of William and Mary.

 

Elinor L. Hoover
Elinor L. Hoover is the Chairman of the Global Consumer & Retail Group in Citi’s Banking, Capital Markets and Advisory ("BCMA") Division, where she advises leading businesses within the Food & Beverage, Household & Personal Care, and Beauty industries. She oversees Citi’s Consumer Tech initiative and is the architect of numerous client initiatives, including the annual Citi Consumer Disruptive Growth Conference. American Banker has honored Elinor as one of the “Most Powerful Women in Finance” for seven consecutive years. She previously served as Global Co-Head of Citi’s Consumer Products Investment Banking Group, Global Co-Head of Citi’s Financial Strategy and Solutions Group, and Vice Chairman of Citi’s Capital Markets Origination Division. Prior to Citi, she held a number of leadership roles at Morgan Stanley, where she was a pioneer in global income derivatives, including Vice Chairman of Global Capital Markets, Head of Corporate Fixed Income Capital Markets, and Co-Head of Fixed Income Capital Markets. Elinor served as Chair of the Board of The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and a member of the Board of Directors of Lincoln Center and is currently a Board Advisor to the Yale School of Music. She received a BA with honors from Yale University and an MBA from the Harvard Business School. An avid musician, she studied piano and graduated from The Juilliard School of Music Pre-College Division.

 

Ellie Rubenstein
As the Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Manna Tree, Ellie is a passionate investor focused on improving human health. Manna Tree invests in growth stage businesses transforming the food supply chain for healthier outcomes. Ellie is a member of the firm’s Executive and Investment Committees. She shapes the firm’s vision strategy and investment products and develops Manna Tree’s global network. For the past 10 years, Ellie has studied the evolution of the food and beverage supply chain, as well as the increasing consumer demand for healthier alternatives. Prior to founding Manna Tree, Ellie helped develop the impact investing thesis for a family investment office well known for ESG driven strategies. As part of new product development for the office, she helped launch the first ever arctic asset manager based in Alaska.

In addition to her role at Manna Tree, Ellie is an active philanthropist. Through her family office, Mission: Ingredients, Ellie drives positive change in global population health. She supports ingredient research, outdoor wilderness, youth education, and military health and recovery programs.  Ellie earned her bachelor’s degree in sociology from Harvard University, where she was a varsity ski racer. She earned her master’s degree in agriculture economics from Purdue University and her MBA in agribusiness from Indiana University’s Kelly School of Business, where she was a Tobias Fellow.

 

Governor Glenn Youngkin
Governor Glenn Youngkin is a homegrown Virginian from humble beginnings. From washing dishes to support his family to being named co-CEO of one of the world’s top investment firms, Governor Youngkin knows what it’s like to work hard. For 25 years Governor Youngkin was instrumental in growing the Carlyle Group’s stature globally. As a newcomer to politics, he ran, won, and now shapes policy on common sense solutions to kitchen table concerns. So far, he’s passed the largest education budget in Virginia’s history, facilitated waves of economic investments and business expansions to reinvigorate job growth and opportunity and has totally transformed the way government works for its citizens.

 

Holly Freishtat
Holly Freishtat is the Senior Director of Feeding Change with the Milken Institute. She is an experienced director, transformative leader and strategist with a 20-year track record developing and implementing food system policies and programs. Holly served as Baltimore City’s first Food Policy Director and Chief of Food Policy & Planning where she founded and directed the Baltimore Food Policy Initiative. She holds an M.S. in Agriculture, Food, and Environment from the Friedman School of Nutrition Science & Policy at Tufts University, a B.S. in Nutrition from the University of Vermont, and an executive certificate from Carey Business School.

 

Jack Stout
Jack Stout is Executive Vice President, Fresh Foods, Value Chain & Logistics at 7 Eleven, Inc. Jack leads the organizational efforts to provide customers best-in-class fresh food offerings, bolstered by a powerfully effective value chain and logistics system that enables the enterprise to efficiently develop, manufacture and distribute delicious and craveable fresh food offerings. Prior to his current role, Jack led 7-Eleven’s Merchandising team as Chief Merchandising Officer. He has held numerous leadership roles since joining the company in 2003 including Vice President of Business and Financial Planning, Senior Director of National Franchise and Director of Store Development Strategy. Before joining 7-Eleven, Jack served as an officer in the U.S. Air Force, achieving the rank of Captain. Jack graduated from Duke University where he studied mathematics and earned his bachelor’s degree. He also holds a Master of Science in Applied Statistics from Wright State University and a Master of Business Administration from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business.

 

Jason El Koubi
Jason El Koubi is President & CEO of the Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP). Working with a wide variety of partners and stakeholders, Jason leads the development and implementation of an ambitious, multi-year strategic plan for economic development of the Commonwealth that encompasses activities across state government. He was previously President and CEO of One Acadiana, a regional economic development organization based in Lafayette, Louisiana. Prior to that, Jason served as assistant secretary of Louisiana Economic Development (LED), where he led initiatives that helped secure projects creating more than 63,000 new jobs along with more than $28 billion in new capital investment, while dramatically improving Louisiana’s position in virtually every state business climate ranking. Jason served as policy director of the Baton Rouge Area Chamber, and also was selected for the French-American Foundation’s Young Leaders program, the British-American Project, and term membership in the Council on Foreign Relations. Jason earned a B.S. in Biological Engineering from Louisiana State University. As a Rotary Foundation Ambassadorial Scholar, he earned an M.S. in Public Policy from the London School of Economics.

 

Jason Hickey
Jason Hickey is the Chief Executive Officer of Hickey, the largest global conglomerate of site selection, analytics and consulting companies with offices in fifteen countries representing a diverse set of multinational businesses. In addition to leading the most experienced and dynamic site selection team in the industry, Jason focuses on accessing strategic sources of government capital, while implementing predictive AI-driven modeling and analytics for the firm’s most active customers. With a diverse background in the field, Jason utilizes a proactive and proven approach to ensuring clients are making strategic decisions in a complex and ever-changing world. While working for the firm, Jason has been often called upon to assist elected officials and economic development leaders with the development of public policies and new regulations at the federal, state, and local levels. Jason is a graduate of Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois and serves as a board member of the Michael P. Hickey Foundation, a scholarship program for economic development professionals.

 

Jenny Cameron
Jenny is the Chief Transformation Officer, Fit for a Better World programme. Her focus is to work with the industry to help drive the strategy in its 3 key areas of productivity, sustainability, and inclusiveness. Jenny was previously the General Manager, Responsible Dairy, DairyNZ, where she covered environmental issues (water, climate change, biodiversity), animal welfare, biosecurity, and workforce issues. She also served as co-Chair Agri-Sector Adaptation Scenario & Roadmap for the Aotearoa Circle and CEO of the Electricity Retailers’ Association of New Zealand. She was the Director of External Relations for the Brewers' Association of Australia and New Zealand after holding several roles in the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade, including Senior Legal Advisor, Diplomat in the Tokyo Embassy, and as Policy Officer. She received her LLB/BA in Psychology from the Victoria University of Wellington, where she resides.

 

Jordan Bar Am, Partner, McKinsey
Jordan Bar Am is a Partner in McKinsey’s New Jersey office. He’s a leader in the CPG and Sustainability practices, where he serves food companies across the value chain on sustainability-led growth strategies. Jordan leads McKinsey’s work around alternative proteins globally and, providing strategic advice to disruptive startups, food manufacturers, ag players, retailers, and Private Equity investors on where and how to compete in alternative protein. He also leads the Consumer Sustainability service line in North America, working with food manufacturers on sustainability strategy.

Prior to joining McKinsey, Jordan was a banana importer, Kindergarten teacher, and Fulbright scholar. He holds a BA from Harvard College and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

 

Julie Monaco
Julie Monaco is the Global Head of Citi’s Public Sector Group in the Banking, Capital Markets and Advisory division of Citi’s Institutional Clients Group. She leads the banking coverage team in 98 countries that is responsible for providing a full range of financial services to public sector entities in 160 countries. In 2021, she was named to the American Banker’s list of “25 Most Powerful Women in Banking and Finance” for the twelfth year and has also been recognized by Crain’s as “Notable Women in Banking and Finance.” Julie is a member of the Supervisory Board of Citi, Ukraine, the Board of Trustees for the China Institute, the Board of the Business Council for International Understanding, the Board of the American Indonesian Chamber of Commerce, and the Board of Astana International Financial Centre in Kazakhstan. Julie is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and the OECD’s inaugural Blue.Net Executive Consultation Group to support a global standard for sustainable infrastructure. Julie is the Founding Chair for the International Women of the Elliot School of International Affairs at George Washington University as well as Chair of the Board of Advisors. Julie served as the first Co-Chair at the founding of the World Bank’s Global Infrastructure Facility and was instrumental in Citi becoming the first financial institution invited to join the World Economic Forum’s Partnership Against Corruption Initiative. Julie has 35 years of experience in the financial services industry, in leadership roles managing the P&L of global businesses. Prior to joining Citi in 2007, she spent six years at JPMorgan Chase in leadership roles in its cash, trade finance, cards and transaction services-related FX businesses. Julie also held senior positions at Deutsche Bank and Bankers Trust in cash management and trade finance. She holds an MBA in Finance from New York University and a BA in International Affairs from George Washington University.

 

Ken Barbic
Ken is currently a consultant in the food/agriculture/ag tech sector, bringing two decades of experience working in senior governmental, association and business roles. As  Vice President, Head of Policy and Government Relations for the Farmers Business Network (FBN), Ken led FBN’s policy development and advocacy initiatives, industry affairs engagement, and lobbying efforts. Prior to FBN, Ken served as the Assistant Secretary for Congressional Relations and Intergovernmental Affairs at USDA. In that role, Ken served as the Department's primary liaison with Members of Congress, state governments, and other stakeholders and provided strategic guidance to the Secretary of Agriculture and other USDA senior officials. He led Department efforts on the 2018 Farm Bill, USMCA passage, and led negotiations with Congress on disaster aid,COVID-related spending, and CCC replenishment.Ken also served as a senior director for the Western Growers Association, where he worked for nearly a decade to advance the competitiveness of American produce farmers. Ken grew up in Bakersfield in a farming family, which, from an early age, gave him an appreciation for the challenges and opportunities facing agriculture. Prior to his work with Western Growers, he served as Deputy Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Congressional Affairs and as a legislative assistant with the House Committee on Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee.

 

Laura Himes
As Vice President of Sourcing, Produce, Laura Himes leads a team that scours the globe sourcing the freshest and highest quality produce at a good price for Walmart customers. Her charge includes enhancing the surety of Walmart’s produce supply for the U.S. and international markets, developing meaningful and mutually beneficial relationships with suppliers, and guiding the company’s sustainability efforts for produce. To help meet Walmart’s goal of becoming a regenerative company, Himes seeks out producers that are using regenerative practices to ensure the fruits and vegetables the company sells is sourced with people and planet in mind. She also works with farmers that are just getting started in their sustainability journey lending her expertise to help them strengthen their efforts. Having joined the company in 2013, Laura has held various positions in produce sourcing and merchandising. Produce has been her passion for over 30 years having worked for Dole, Driscoll and Chiquita Brands based in offices around the world including Portugal, Belgium, Panama, Costa Rica, Honduras, and Mexico. Laura holds a bachelor’s degree in anthropology from Pomona College and a master’s degree in international business from Thunderbird. She is currently the chair of the board and member of the executive committee for the International Fresh Produce Association. She lives in Bentonville, AR, with her husband and children.

 

Secretary Matthew Lohr
Matthew Lohr serves as the Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry for the Commonwealth of Virginia. He was raised on a family farm in Virginia and has spent his entire life working for the betterment of agriculture. Before serving as the Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry, he served as Chief of the USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service. He also previously served in the Virginia House of Delegates, as Commissioner of the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, as Director of the Farm Credit Knowledge Center and as a middle school agriscience teacher. In addition to serving as Secretary, Matt and his two children own and operate Valley Pike Farm, Inc.

 

Mohan Tavorath
Mohan Tavorath is a partner at International Farming, an alternative asset manager that has invested more than $2 Billion in farmland acquisitions, midstream assets, and AgTech investments across a multitude of geographies and crop types. He has previously invested in and led companies that have been recognized by the Inc. 500, Goldman Sachs Top 100, Deloitte Tech Fast 500 and Y Combinator. He chaired the board of a data analytics firm from startup through acquisition a few years later by a global Top 5 biotech/agriculture company.  Previously, Mohan was CEO of a FinTech company in California that was one of the fastest-growing private companies in the US for several years. He has previously served in various executive, management and consulting roles at KPMG, MetLife, General Electric (GE), Walz Group, Morgan Stanley and AIG. A Board Leadership Fellow with the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD), Mohan graduated from Columbia University in New York with an MBA (Dean's List) and holds Master's and Bachelor's degrees in Computer Science (with Distinction) from the University of Poona, India.

 

Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet
Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet is a Senior Partner at Antin, joining in 2021 as a founding member of the NextGen team. Previously, Nathalie was an Executive Vice-President at Capgemini where she focused on cloud computing and cybersecurity. While at Capgemini, Nathalie was head of the projects and consulting business in North America. She was previously a member of the French Parliament, having won three successful election campaigns. As an MP, Nathalie served in the government of Prime Minister François Fillon, holding multiple state secretary positions, with a particular focus on sustainability and the digital economy, becoming Minister of the Environment, Transportation and Housing in 2010. Nathalie was also previously Vice President of the UMP and “Les Republicains”, Communications Director for Nicolas Sarkozy’s 2012 presidential re-election campaign, Councillor of Paris and was the former Mayor of Longjumeau. Before entering politics, Nathalie worked for Alstom as a project manager in the Strategy Department. Nathalie is a graduate of Ecole Polytechnique, the French Naval Academy and the Institut des Hautes Etudes de la Défense Nationale. She holds a Diploma in Engineering from Ecole des Eaux et Forets and an International Certificate of Corporate Finance from Columbia Business School.

 

Phillip Lee
Phillip is the CEO of Evolve International and Managing Director of Evolve Growing Solutions, which specialize in Total Circular Economy Solutions from concept to delivery designing and developing global CE solutions encompassing the Food, Water, Energy, and Waste sectors. He started as a commercial farmer in his early years, with degrees in Waste Energy Food Systems integration, Soil Science and 7 years PhD development of Advanced Sustainable Food production systems design. With a passion for sustainable and holistic integrated solutions that work synergistically with the natural environment, Phillip founded Evolve in 2012 to not just make sustainable changes incrementally, but to drive the ground-breaking innovation necessary to achieve genuinely sustainable futures.

 

Rob Dongoski
Rob leads Kearney’s Food & Agribusiness sector and was a former global leader at EY. He focuses on strategy, innovation and M&A across the value chain. Rob is at the forefront of industry issues and works directly with client executives to optimize their approach in the global markets. He works across the entire agri/food value chain including crop inputs, ag retailers, processors, food manufacturers and distribution. Rob has also worked extensively to foster innovation and digital adoption across the industry with corporate clients, private equity, venture capital and incubator/accelerator communities.Rob’s experience ranges from growth strategy to operating model design to digital innovation across the agri/food value chain. He has worked with many companies in fresh foods – both protein and produce – to design effective business models for vertical integration, alternative production methods and new business models. He has specific expertise in CEA and has worked globally with stakeholders in various applications. In over 25 years in the industry, Rob has served companies such as Monsanto, Bayer Crop Sciences, Dupont/Corteva, Nutrien, McCain Foods, Land O’ Lakes, CHS, Tyson Foods, ADM, Deere, Hillshire Brands, Kellogg, Costco, AGCO, Cargill, Ingredion, and KraftHeinz. This client base and his role as the senior advisory partner on several other clients have enabled him to become a knowledge leader on matters of critical importance to global and market-leading companies.

 

Robert Blue
Robert M. Blue is chair, president, and chief executive officer of Dominion Energy. He joined Dominion Energy in 2005 and held a succession of services and operational executive roles. He was previously Dominfion Energy’s executive vice president and co-chief operating officer, and president-Dominion Energy Virginia, the company’s vertically integrated electric utility in Virginia and North Carolina. Prior to joining Dominion Energy, Robert served as counselor to the Governor and director of policy for Virginia Governor Mark Warner and as an attorney at Hogan & Hartson. Robert has been a board member of a wide range of community and industry organizations, including the Nuclear Energy Institute. He currently serves on the board of directors for the Edison Electric Institute and the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations. He is a member of the boards of the AEGIS Insurance Services, Inc., the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, the Greater Washington Partnership, Sports Backers, and Communities in Schools of Virginia, as well as the University of Virginia's Board of Visitors. He is a graduate of the University of Virginia and Yale Law School. He also earned his master’s degree in business administration from the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business.

 

Russ Carnahan
Russ serves as a policy advisor and was previously a partner with Carnahan Global Consulting, specializing in international business, legal and governmental consulting. His work particularly focused on issues of renewable energy, sustainable building technology, historic preservation, transportation infrastructure and transition to commercial electric vehicles. Russ has a long history in public service. He is a former Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives, representing Missouri’s 3rd Congressional District–including urban and rural areas in the St. Louis region–from 2005-2013. He served in a number of leadership roles, including as Senior Democratic Whip from 2009-13 and Co-Chair of the bipartisan Center Aisle Caucus focused on common sense solutions for both political parties. Carnahan was selected as Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on International Organizations and received a Presidential Appointment from the Obama/Biden Administration as Congressional Delegate to the United Nations General Assembly. He also served on the U.S. House of Representatives committees for: Transportation & Infrastructure; Science & Technology; and Veterans Affairs. Russ began his career in public service when he was elected to the Missouri House of Representatives in 2000. He was Chairman of the House Democratic Caucus and Deputy Majority Whip. He earned a number of awards for his legislative work, including from the St. Louis Regional Commerce and Growth Association, the St. Louis Business Journal and the Missouri Bar Association. Russ also served as Director of Government Relations for BJC HealthCare, one of the largest hospital systems in the country. Part of a family well known for state and national public service, he is the son of former U.S. Sen. Jean Carnahan and the late Missouri Governor Mel Carnahan.

 

Ryan Shadrick Wilson
Ryan Shadrick Wilson has often been referred to as “the good food whisperer” for the quiet yet significant role she has played in launching many of the innovative ideas and companies shaping the food revolution. Ryan is the founder and CEO of Boardwalk Collective, an advisory and investment firm. She is also the Chairperson of Territory Foods, a healthy meal delivery food tech company, and serves on the advisory boards of numerous companies, including Instacart, Benson Hill, Brightseed, Upside Foods, Apeel Sciences, Voyage Foods, Plenty, and Perfect Day.  Ryan is Chairperson of Questlove’s Future of Food Entrepreneurship Program, and serves on several other nonprofit organization advisory boards, including Food for Climate League, ReFed, and Yellow—the new foundation founded by Pharrell Williams. Throughout a career that has spanned law, finance, public policy, philanthropy, and business, Ryan has maintained a devotion to creating a healthier, happier, and more equitable future. She has served on the Board of Directors of public company Acon S2—a sustainability-focused special purpose acquisition company. She also founded Feeding Change at the Milken Institute—a global effort to catalyze a healthier food system focusing on the finance community. Previously, Ryan served as Chief Strategy Officer and General Counsel of Partnership for a Healthier America, Michelle Obama’s health and wellness initiative. Prior to that, Ryan practiced law for nearly a decade at international law firm Hogan Lovells, where she counseled food and agriculture companies around the globe, as well as their trade associations in Washington, D.C. Ryan graduated with honors from Princeton University and Harvard Law School.  But, she is also a proud graduate of the Virginia Beach Public Schools and has launched several programs to empower and provide opportunity to students and innovators in Virginia, including an 18-year mentoring program, co-hosting both The Mighty Dream and The Elephant in the Room forums with Pharrell Williams, and investing in numerous Virginia-based entrepreneurs.

 

Thomas Jonas
Thomas Jonas is Co-Founder and CEO of Nature’s Fynd, a groundbreaking food tech company born out of NASA-supported research on extremophiles from Yellowstone National Park. The company’s novel fermentation technology produces a sustainable, complete source of net new protein using only a fraction of the resources required by traditional agriculture. Thomas was previously president of two business units of MeadWestvaco, overseeing 15 operating plants around the world with annual sales over $700 million. A French-born global executive, he’s held senior leadership positions at Rio Tinto, Alcan, and Pechiney. Thomas graduated from the prestigious international business school HEC Paris and also served as an officer in the French Air Force.

 

Uma Valeti
Dr. Uma Valeti is the CEO and Founder of UPSIDE Foods (formerly Memphis Meats), the world’s leading cultivated meat company. UPSIDE Foods was the first company focused on growing real meat directly from animal cells and has led the industry ever since. Since 2015, UPSIDE Foods has achieved numerous industry-defining milestones, including being the first company to produce multiple species of meat (beef, chicken and duck) and the first company to break ground on a production facility. UPSIDE Foods has raised over $600 million from a diverse coalition of investors including Richard Branson, John Mackey, Bill Gates, Temasek, ADG, Softbank, Threshold, Baillie Gifford, Norwest, Cargill, Tyson Foods and Whole Foods. Uma’s vision is to enable people around the world to eat the meat they love, while transforming the food system to become more sustainable and humane. Uma has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, the Aspen Ideas Festival and SXSW. In 2019 he was named a “Global Thinker of the Decade” by Foreign Policy magazine. Uma is a Mayo Clinic-trained cardiologist and an adjunct professor in Cardiovascular Medicine at Stanford University.